Removable step ladder for recreational vehicle

ABSTRACT

In one embodiment of the invention, a ladder and method for removably mounting the ladder on a recreational vehicle is disclosed. The ladder may be removed and used as a standard step ladder. The ladder includes a top end and two pairs of legs extending downward from the top end. At least one of the pairs of legs is pivotally mounted to the top end, and a pivoting limiting mechanism is provided to allow the pairs of legs to fold adjacent one another or unfold to a use position as a step ladder. An upper mounting arrangement is attached to the recreational vehicle. The arrangement includes two free ends extending downwardly therefrom; and the top end of the ladder includes receivers for receiving free ends of the upper mounting arrangement.

This continuation application claims priority from U.S. non-provisionalpatent application Ser. No. 14/328,287 filed on Jul. 10, 2014, whichclaimed priority from U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No.61/844,895 filed on Jul. 11, 2013, the complete disclosures of which areincorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a ladder for use with a recreational vehicle,and in particular to a ladder being mountable for access to an upper orroof area of the recreational vehicle and being further removable fromthe recreational vehicle for use as a standard step ladder.

It is well known to have ladders mounted to or otherwise attached torecreational vehicles. Typically the ladders are mounted at the back endor sides of the recreational vehicle to allow access to the roof.Equipment or other goods may be stored on the roof of the recreationalvehicle and access also allows cleaning and maintenance of the roof orany fixtures extending from the roof, such as air conditioning units.

Furthermore, many recreational vehicle owners travel with a step ladderto allow access to the roof of the recreational vehicle at points otherthan where the ladders are mounted. Step ladders are also used for otherpurposes, such as at a camp site where access to an elevated position isdesired. A problem is that storage space is limited and at a premium inrecreational vehicles, so it is difficult to find a suitable and secureplace to store the step ladder for travel and while camping. As closetspace is limited, some recreational vehicle owners will use straps,ropes, or bungee cords to mount a step ladder to the recreationalvehicle's attached ladder or to other areas on the exterior of therecreational vehicle where the ladder might be secured. Such mountingmay impair the use of the recreational vehicle's attached ladder, causean unsightly appearance or cause a hazard if it becomes dislodged duringtravel. Accordingly, it is desirable to have a combination step ladderthat can be attached to and serve as the main ladder of the recreationalvehicle for access to the roof thereof and/or is removable for use apartand away from the recreational vehicle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one embodiment of the invention, a ladder and method for removablymounting the ladder on a recreational vehicle is disclosed. The laddermay be removed and used as a standard step ladder. The ladder includes atop end and two pairs of legs extending downward from the top end. Atleast one of the pairs of legs is pivotally mounted to the top end, anda pivoting limiting mechanism is provided to allow the pairs of legs tofold adjacent one another or unfold to a use position as a step ladder.An upper mounting arrangement is attached to the recreational vehicle.The arrangement includes two free ends extending downwardly therefrom;and the top end of the ladder includes receivers for receiving free endsof the upper mounting arrangement.

The receivers at the top end of the ladder may include apertures thereinfor receiving the free ends of the upper mounting arrangement, and thefree ends can be tubular members of the mounting arrangement.

The tubular members may have a bend and extend outwardly therefrom abovethe receivers and another bend to extend the tubular members backvertically.

The ladder and method for removably mounting the ladder on arecreational vehicle may further include a lower mounting arrangementthat may include an expandable width bracket mounted to the lower end ofone pair of the legs on the ladder and extensions mounted to the bottomof the expandable width bracket.

Another bracket may be mounted to the recreational vehicle for receivingthe extensions. The bracket mounted on the recreational vehicle mayinclude upwardly extending extensions that connect to the extensionsextending downwardly from the expandable width bracket attached to theladder.

The extensions attached to the bracket on the recreational vehicle mayinclude T-shaped apertures and the extensions extending down from theladder bracket may include circular apertures. Fasteners may extendthrough the apertures for connecting the brackets mounted to the ladderand the recreational vehicle together.

The bracket mounted to the recreational vehicle can be mounted on abumper thereof. Alternately, the bracket attached to the recreationalvehicle may be mounted to the back of the recreational vehicle and theextensions may extend backwardly therefrom.

In another embodiment of the invention, the ladder may be removed andused as a standard step ladder. The ladder may include a top end and twopairs of legs extending downward from the top end. At least one of thepairs of legs is pivotally mounted to the top end, and a pivotinglimiting mechanism is provided to allow the pairs of legs to foldadjacent one another or unfold to a use position as a step ladder. Alower mounting arrangement for attaching the ladder to the recreationalvehicle is also provided. The arrangement includes a first bracketmounted to the bottom of one pair of step ladder legs, a second bracketmounted to the recreational vehicle, and fasteners to connect thebrackets together.

One of the brackets may have an expandable width and each of thebrackets can include extensions extending therefrom. Each of theextensions may include apertures and one set of apertures can have aT-shaped configuration.

The second bracket can be mounted to a bumper of the recreationalvehicle or it can be mounted directly to a rear end of the recreationalvehicle.

An upper mounting arrangement may also be provided that includes twofree ends extending downwardly therefrom and receivers in the ladder forreceiving the free ends of the upper mounting arrangement. The receiversat the top of the ladder may include apertures therethrough forreceiving the free ends of the upper mounting arrangement. The free endsmay be tubular members of the mounting arrangement.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above-mentioned and other features and objects of this invention andthe manner of obtaining them will become more apparent and the inventionitself will be better understood by reference to the followingdescription of embodiments of the present invention taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the subject inventionshowing a removable ladder mounted on a recreational vehicle;

FIG. 2 is an end view of an upper portion of the ladder of FIG. 1 asmounted on the recreational vehicle;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the ladder on the recreational vehicle fromFIG. 1;

FIG. 4 shows one embodiment for mounting the lower end of the ladder toa bumper of a recreational vehicle;

FIG. 5 is a side view showing the lower end of the ladder mounted to thebumper in a manner consistent with FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 shows an alternate embodiment arrangement of mounting the lowerend of the ladder to a recreational vehicle without a bumper; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment upper mountingarrangement as mounted on the recreational vehicle.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding partsthroughout the several views. Although the drawings representembodiments of the present invention, the drawings are not necessarilyto scale and certain features may be exaggerated in order to betterillustrate and explain the present invention. The exemplification setout herein illustrates embodiments of the invention, and suchexemplifications are not to be construed as limiting the scope of theinvention in any manner.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of theinvention, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated inthe drawings, which are described below. It will nevertheless beunderstood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is therebyintended. The invention includes any alterations and furthermodifications in the illustrated devices and described methods andfurther applications of the principles of the invention, which wouldnormally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.

Now referring to FIG. 1, a removable ladder, generally indicated as 10,is shown mounted to a recreational vehicle, generally indicated as 12.Recreational vehicle 12 may be of any type or variety of such vehiclesas are well known. Recreational vehicle 12 includes a top or roof 14, arear or back end 16, a side 18, and a plurality of wheels 20 on whichrecreational vehicle 12 moves. Recreational vehicle 12 also includes abumper 19 as is well known.

Removable ladder 10 is of a well-known variety and commonly called astep ladder. Such ladders, as is well known, have a top end or platform22 and two pairs of legs 24 a, b, and 26 a, b extending downward fromtop end 22. Receiving holes 23 are provided in top end 22 for purposesdiscussed below. At least one of the pairs of legs 24 a, b or 26 a, bare pivotally mounted to platform 22 as is well known to allow the legsto fold up against one another for storage or leaning use as ladder 10is depicted in FIG. 1, or to pivotally open up to allow ladder 10 tostand freely on its own for use as a step ladder. Ladder 10 furtherincludes horizontal rungs or steps 28 extending between legs 24 a and 24b and a pair of pivoting limit stops 30 attached to and connecting legs24 a to 26 a and 24 b to 26 b, as is well known.

To facilitate mounting removal ladder 10 to recreational vehicle 12, anupper mounting arrangement is shown, generally indicated as 40, and alower mounting arrangement is shown, generally indicated as 60.

Upper mounting arrangement 40 includes a pair of tubular members 42 a,42 b, mounted generally parallel and adjacent to one another. Uppermounting arrangement 40 may be manufactured from aluminum members orother suitable corrosion resistant materials. One end of tubular members42 a, b has flanges 44 attached thereto, such as by welding or otherknown means. Flanges 44 may include holes and be attached usingfasteners or other known means to roof 14 of recreational vehicle 12.Each tubular member 42 a, 42 b extends generally vertically upward fromflange 44/roof 14, but further includes respective bends 46 a, 46 b. Atthe rear end 16 of recreational vehicle 12, tubular members 42 a, binclude 90° bends 48 a, 48 b, respectively, directing tubular membersdownwardly out over rear end 16. Tubular members 42 a, 42 b includeadditional bends 50 a, 50 b, respectively, bending tubular members 42 a,42 b towards one another at approximately a 45° angle. Tubular members42 a, 42 b include one additional bend each 52a, 52b, respectively,wherein the tubular members bend back vertically again and parallel toone another, ending in parallel free ends 53 a, b, respectively.

Upper mounting arrangement 40 further includes two generally horizontalcross supports 54 and 55 extending between and attached to tubularmembers 42 a, 42 b. Supports 54 and 55 may be welded to or otherwiseattached to tubular members 42 a, 42 b in a known manner. Upper mountingarrangement 40 further includes vertical supports 56 a, 56 b, attachedto tubular members 42 a, 42 b, respectively. Vertical supports 56 a, 56b may be welded or attached to tubular members in any known manner, andmay further include flanges 44 attached to the bottom end thereof andhaving holes for mounting the supports to roof 14 using fasteners orother known means (not shown). Upper mounting arrangement 40 alsoincludes supports 58 attached to horizontal support 55 or tubularmembers 42 a, 42 b and extending to rear end 16. A flange 44 is alsoattached to the end of support 58 mounted to rear end 16. Fasteners orother suitable means (not shown) may be used to attach the flange torear end 16 in a manner well known.

Lower mounting arrangement 60 is best shown in FIG. 4 and in theembodiment shown, includes an expandable width bracket 62 mounted tolegs 24 a, 24 b. One embodiment for expandable bracket 62 includesoverlapping bracket portions 62 a, 62 b, having a slot 64, wherein thehalves may be fixed at a desired width with fasteners 66. Bracket 62further includes downwardly extending extensions 68 which may be fixedlyfastened or otherwise attached to bracket 62 and having apertures 69extending through lower ends thereof. Extensions 68 may be attached toslots 70 in bracket 62 with fasteners 72.

Lower mounting arrangement 60 further includes a second bracket 74including extensions 76 extending upwardly therefrom. Each extension 76includes a generally T-shaped aperture 78, which is configured formounting extension 76 to extension 68 using fasteners (not shown). TheT-shaped apertures in extensions 76 permit a flexible mountingarrangement between brackets 62 and 74. Bracket 74 is mounted to bumper19 using U-bolts 80 and fasteners 82. FIG. 5 shows a side view withextensions 68 connected to extensions 76.

FIG. 6 shows an alternate embodiment ladder and mounting arrangement110, wherein recreational vehicle 12 does not include a bumper 19. Inthis arrangement, bracket 74 is mounted directly to rear end 16 usingfasteners or other known means (not shown) so that extensions 76 extendbackwardly perpendicular to rear end 16. Extensions 76 meet extensions68 at approximately a 90° angle with T-shaped apertures 78 being matchedto apertures 69 and held together with fasteners.

To mount ladder 10 on recreational vehicle 12, the width of bracket 62is adjusted to correspond with the width of ladder legs 24 a, 24 b andfixed using fasteners 66 in slot 64. Bracket 74 is attached to bumper 19using a U-bolt 80 and fasteners 82 as shown in FIG. 4. Free ends 53 aand 53 b of tubular members 42 a, 42 b are then inserted into receivingholes 23 of top end 22 as best shown in FIG. 2. At this point, the lowerends of legs 24 a and 24 b are positioned within the sides of bracket 62and extensions 68 of bracket 62 are connected to extensions 76 ofbracket 74 using fasteners or other known means to securely connect theextensions together. As should be appreciated, the T-shapedconfiguration of apertures 78 enables the extensions to be connectedtogether and allow for adjustments to be made if the fit-up does notmatch perfectly.

To remove the ladder, the fasteners connecting extensions 68 and 76together are removed, bracket 62 is removed from the bottom of stepladder 10 and top end 22 is drawn down so that free ends 53 a, b oftubular members 42 a, b, respectively, are withdrawn from receivingholes 23. Ladder 10 can then be opened up and used in a manner of anormal step ladder as is well known. The ladder can be reattached byreversing the process.

Referring now to FIG. 7, an alternate embodiment upper mountingarrangement is shown generally indicated as 240. The removable ladder 10attached to upper mounting arrangement 240 is the same as depicted inFIGS. 1-6. Additionally, upper mounting arrangement 240 can be the sameas upper mounting arrangement 40, forward from 90° bends 48 a, 48 b;however, upper mounting arrangement 240 does not include any bends intubular members 242 a, 242 b below bends 48 a, 48 b. Instead, mountingarrangement 240 includes two vertical segment tubular portions 251 a,251 b. Vertical portions 251 a, 251 b are attached to a horizontal stepor support 255. Attached to the bottom of step 255 are vertical tubularportions 253 a, 253 b, which have free ends configured to extend intoand be received by receiving apertures 23 in top end 22 of removableladder 10. Removeable ladder 10 is attached to upper mountingarrangement 240 in the same or similar manner as with upper mountingarrangement 40, and can be removed in the same or similar manner.

It should be appreciated that as an alternative, vertical portions 253 aand 253 b can be attached to removable step ladder 10, and step 255 mayinclude receiving apertures for receiving either free lower ends ofvertical portions 251 a, 251 b or free upper ends of vertical portions253 a, 253 b as an alternate means of mounting removable step ladder 10to upper mounting arrangement 240.

While the invention has been taught with specific reference to theseembodiments, one skilled in the art will recognize that changes can bemade in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention. For example, bracket 62 does not have to have anadjustable width or other adjustment configurations may be used. Also,receiving apertures 23 may be replaced with sockets attached to top end22. The described embodiments are to be considered, therefore, in allrespects only as illustrative and not restrictive. As such, the scope ofthe invention is indicated by the following claims rather than by thedescription.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A ladder and recreational vehiclecombination, the ladder removably mountable on the recreational vehicle,wherein the ladder is a foldable step ladder, the combinationcomprising: the ladder including a top end and two pairs of legsextending downward from the top end, at least one of the pairs of legsbeing pivotally mounted to the top end, and a pivoting connectionallowing the pairs of legs to fold adjacent one another or unfold to ause position; an upper mounting arrangement attached to the recreationalvehicle, the arrangement including at least one horizontal ladder rungand two free ends extending downwardly therefrom, the free ends beingtubular members of the mounting arrangement; and the ladder having agenerally planar horizontal stepping surface including holes extendingtherethrough configured to receive the free ends of the upper mountingarrangement.
 2. The ladder and recreational vehicle combination as setforth in claim 1, wherein the top end of the ladder is configured to bea step for a user climbing to a top of the recreational vehicle.
 3. Theladder and recreational vehicle combination as set forth in claim 2,wherein the tubular members have a bend and extend outwardly therefromabove the holes and another bend to extend the tubular members backvertically.
 4. The ladder and recreational vehicle combination as setforth in claim 1, further including a lower mounting arrangementincluding a first bracket, the first bracket extending completely acrossa distance between a first pair of said two pairs of legs.
 5. The ladderand recreational vehicle combination as set forth in claim 4, includingextensions mounted to a bottom of the the first bracket.
 6. The ladderand recreational vehicle combination as set forth in claim 5, includinga bracket mounted to the recreational vehicle connected to theextensions extending from the first bracket that is mounted to lowerends of one of the pairs of legs.
 7. The ladder and recreational vehiclecombination as set forth in claim 6, wherein the bracket mounted on therecreational vehicle includes upwardly extending extensions that connectto the extensions extending downwardly from the first bracket attachedto the ladder.
 8. The ladder and recreational vehicle combination as setforth in claim 7, wherein the upwardly extending extensions attached tothe bracket mounted on the recreational vehicle include aperturesconfigured in a T-shape and the extensions extending downwardly from thefirst bracket include circular apertures.
 9. The ladder and recreationalvehicle combination as set forth in claim 8, including fastenersextending through the apertures and the extensions for connecting thebrackets mounted to the ladder and to the recreational vehicle together.10. The ladder and recreational vehicle combination as set forth inclaim 9, wherein the bracket mounted to the recreational vehicle ismounted on a bumper thereof.
 11. The ladder and recreational vehiclecombination as set forth in claim 6, wherein the bracket mounted to therecreational vehicle is mounted to a back end of the recreationalvehicle and includes extensions extending backwardly therefrom.
 12. Aladder and mounting assembly combination, removably mountable on arecreational vehicle, wherein the ladder is a foldable step ladder, thecombination comprising: the ladder including a top end and two pairs oflegs extending downward from the top end, at least one of the pairs oflegs being pivotally mounted to the top end, and a pivoting limitingmechanism allowing the pairs of legs to fold adjacent one another andunfold to a use position, the ladder configured to be self-standing whenunfolded and removed from the recreational vehicle in the use positionfor use as stand alone ladder; and a lower mounting arrangement forattaching the ladder to the recreational vehicle, the arrangementincluding a first bracket receiving and in contact with bottommost endsof at least one of the pairs of legs, and a second bracket configured tobe mounted to the recreational vehicle, the brackets including anadjustable pivoting connection therebetween, so that the second bracketcan pivot relative to the first bracket, wherein the second bracket isconfigured to be mountable to either a vertical or horizontal surface onthe recreation vehicle, wherein each of the brackets includes extensionsextending therefrom, wherein each of the extensions include apertures,wherein a first aperture of said apertures is configured in a T-shape,and a second aperture of said apertures is configured in a T-shape. 13.A ladder and mounting assembly combination, removably mountable on arecreational vehicle, wherein the ladder is a foldable step ladder, thecombination comprising: the ladder including a top end and two pairs oflegs extending downward from the top end, at least one of the pairs oflegs being pivotally mounted to the top end, and a pivoting connectionallowing the pairs of legs to fold adjacent one another and unfold to ause position; a lower mounting arrangement configured to attach theladder to a recreational vehicle, the arrangement including a firstbracket receiving bottommost ends of one of the pairs of legs, and asecond bracket configured to mount to a recreational vehicle, each ofthe brackets including extensions extending therefrom with each of theextensions having an aperture, and wherein two of the apertures areconfigured in T-shaped including a first elongated open portion and asecond elongated open portion intersecting and extending generallyperpendicular to said first elongated portion; and fasteners to connectthe brackets together.
 14. The ladder and mounting assembly combinationas set forth in claim 13, wherein the second bracket is configured to bemounted to a bumper of a recreational vehicle.
 15. The ladder andmounting assembly combination as set forth in claim 13, wherein thesecond bracket is configured to be mounted directly to a rear end of arecreational vehicle.
 16. The ladder and mounting combination as setforth in claim 13, further including an upper mounting arrangementincluding a ladder rung and two free ends extending downwardly therefromand receivers in the ladder for receiving the two free ends of the uppermounting arrangement.